Flux box gate



v. P. WENDLE FLUX BOX GATE Oct. 18, 1932.

Filed June 23. 1931 m m V 3 .F W.

45 against leakage atall timesqc The objects of the invention maybe at- Patented Oct, 18, 1932 U N ED P ATENT 'FICE I a VIRGIL r. wEnnLE, or novnnorno, AssIGn'oR .ro THE-REEVES MANUFACTURING COMPANY, or =novnn, onro,,a CORPORATION-OF onro 1 ,rwx n G Application filed June 23,1931. serial No. 54 ,2 0.

The invention relates to the, coating of pails, buckets and otherarticles with Zinc,

tin or other coating materials, and more particularly to a gate for the flux box of appa- 1 ratus tor mechanically coating sucharticles.

In the production'of high grades galvanized, tinned and other coated pails andother metal articles, it iscustomary under present practice to storm such articles from uncoated 10 sheets and then dip the formedarticle into the molten metal for coating the same.

Although these articles have formerly been hand dipped into the molten zinc or tin, I

for the purpose of coatingthem; machines such as disclosed in the patent of John Car:

roll, No. 1,787 141 ofDec. '30, I930,'have recently come into use for mechanically "coat-V ing pails and other formed articles. I 5

Such machines provide carriers, suspended from a conveyer, for supporting the pails or other articles to be coated; these carriers being arranged to'move the articles ;down through a flux box, into and through the molten zinc, or other coating metal, after which the coated articles are moved up out of the molten metal at a point beyond the flux box, drained and carried to an unloading point. 1

This movement of the article-tobe coated through the flux box and into the molten metal bath and then out of the bathiat a point removed from the flux" box necessitates the provision of a slot in one'wall of theflu'x box to permit the carrier to pass therethrough. It will be seen that unless this-slot is closed 85 at all times, the sal ammoniador'other flux contained in the flux box will leak through the slot and over the surface of the molten metal used for coating. 1 i I r The object of the present improvement is 4 to provide a simple, inexpensive and efiicient mechanism in the form of flux box gate which permits the carrier topass though this slot in the wall of the flux box'and at the same time maintains the slot closed, or sealed rolls, which substantiallyfill the opening;

may be provided for driving the rolls" a surr v face'speed equal to the movement of the carriers.

-stantially filling the opening in the wall-of the flux box and providedwith a longitudishowing acarrier passing throughthe gate;

inthe flux box, above the level of the molten the rolls being provided with longitudinal l of the box as the rollsare rotated. Means A modification of the invention contemplates the provision of only a single roll subnal groove adapted to receive the carrier and pass the same out of the flux box; means being preferably provided for driving the rollat the proper speed. a V I: The above and other objects'which will'be obvious from the following detail description and an inspection of the accompanying drawing, may be attained by constructing the apparatus as illustratedin thedrawing, in

,-; Figure l: is a -top plan view of a flux b0 showing the-improved gatetherein;

Fig. 2, a section on the line 2-2, Fig.1,

and r p Fig. 3, a fragmentary plan view ofa portion of afiux box'provided with a modified form of gate comprising a single roll.

Similar numerals refer tosimilar parts 9 throughout the drawing. I I

' The flux box'lO 13 open atthe top and bottom and comprises the side'walls'll and the end walls 12 and'13; This flux box is mount- .edabove the galvanizing tank or pot indi cated generally at 14:, the lower portion'of the flux box extending below the molten metal level indicatedby thedot'and dash line 15., Sal ammoniac or other flux is contained metal; to a height such as indicated by the 9b dot and dash line 16. r r i 1 Inordernto pass the articles to be coated throughthe flux and then intoandthrough the molten metal in the tank or pot 14, carriers for supporting the articles are suspended froina suitable conveyor, which moves the article's'through thefdesired path.

j Each carrier, as shown in the drawi'ng, may

include a substantially vertical arm or rod in the end H nearer to one side wall than the other in .order to accommodate the carrier and article 17 suspended from the conveyor and having at its lower end an angular portion 18 pro vided with a suitable frame 19 upon which the articles to be coated, such as the pail indicated at 20, may be supported for passlng through the flux and molten metal.

In order to permit this carrier to pass the pail, or other article to be coated, down through the flux in the flux box 10, and then into and through'the molten metal, in the tank or pot 14,and afterwards out of the molten metal at a point removed from the flux box, be provided in a wall of the flux box to accommodate the carrier either as it enters or leaves the flux box. 7 v v It will be seen that such opening in the wall of the fluxbox must be covered or closed to I prevent the sal ammoniac from leaking through the same and onto the surface of the 'molten metal outside of the area of the flux box.

For this purpose an opening 21 is formed wall 13 of the flux box, preferably to be coated within a flux box of minimum Width.

" Mounted within this opening and substantially entirely filling and closing the same is a pair of vertical rolls 22, having longitudinal grooves 23'- adapted to register with each other. These rolls are preferably geared together so as to rotate in unison and for this purpose gears 24 maybe fixed to the upper ends of the shafts 25 of the rolls, the gears meshing with each other and each hav- 1ng therein a notch 23 corresponding to the grooves 23 in the rolls.

. The rolls may be driven at the same surface speed at which this purpose a sprocket 26 may be fixed upon the shaft ofone roll and connected by a chain 27 with any suitable source of power arranged to operate the rolls at this speed.

In the operation of the device each carrier is arranged to move downward, carrying the pail 20 down through the flux box and into the molten metal below the same substantially at the point shown in Fig. 1, and preferably to about the depth shown in Fig. 2, the carrier then moving toward the left as viewed in Fig. 1, the vertical portion 17 thereof being received in the grooves23 as shown in Fig. 2 and as the movement continues, the carrier passes through the rolls and beyond the flux box, after which it may be raised out moved therefrom. g

v It will be seen that during this entire operation there is vno time at which the rolls do not close the flux box, thus preventing leakage ofa flux through the opening 21.

'" I T invention may be carried out with only it is necessary that some opening the carrier 17 travels, and for a single roll 22 as shown in Fig. 3, this roll being located within an opening 21 in the end wall 13 of the flux box.

In this case the roll is provided with a longitudinal groove 23 of sufiicient proportion to receive the vertical arm 17 of the carrier and the roll may be driven at a surface speed equal to the movement of the carrier as by a sprocket 26 fixed upon the shaft of the roll and connected as by a chain 27' to a suitable source of power.

I claim:

'1. Apparatus for coating articles including'a tank of molten metal, a flux box at the top of the molten metal and provided with an opening through one side, a moving carrier 'for supporting an article to be coated and for moving the article down through the flux box and through the molten metal in the tank, and a roll located within and substantially filling the opening in the flux box and having a longitudinal groove arranged to receive said carrier.

Apparatus for coating articles including a tank of molten metal, a flux box at the top of the molten metal and provided with an opening through one side, a moving carrier for supporting an article to be coated andfor moving the article down through the flux box and through the molten metal in the tank, a roll located Within and substantially filling the opening in the flux box and having a longitudinal groove arranged to receive ,saidcarrier, and means for driving the roll the carrier. 7 I

3. Apparatus for coating articles including a tank of molten metal, a flux box at the top of the molten metal and provided with an opening through one side, a moving carrier at a surface speed equalto the movement of for supporting an article to be coated and 7 '4. Apparatus for coating articles including a tank of molten metal, a flux box at the top of the molten metal and provided with an opening throughone side, a moving car-' rier for supporting an article to be coated and for moving the article down through the flux box and through the molten metal in the tank, a pair of rolls located within and substantially filling the opening in the flux box and having longitudinal grooves arranged to receive said carrier, and means for causing the rolls to rotate in unison.

5. Apparatus for coating articles including a tank of molten metal, a flux box at the top of the molten metal. and provided with an opening through one side, a moving carrier for supporting-an article to be coated and for moving the article down through the flux box and through the molten metal in, the tank, a pair of rolls located Within-andsubstantially filling the opening inthe fluxbox and having longitudinal grooves arranged to receive said carrier and means fordriving the rolls at a surface speed equal to the move- I ment of the carrier. i V

6. Apparatus for coating articles including a tank of molten metal, a flux box at the top of the molten metal and provided with an opening through one side, a moving carrier for supporting an article to be coated and for moving the article down through the flux box and through the molten metal in the tank, a pair of rolls located Within and substantially filling the opening in the flux box and having longitudinal grooves arf ranged to receive said carrier, means for causing the rolls to rotate in unison, and means for driving the rolls at a surface speed equal to the movement of the carrier. Y

' 7 Apparatus for coating articles including a tank of molten metal, a flux box at the top of the molten metal and'provided with an opening through one side, a moving car rier for supporting an article to be coated and for moving the article downthrough the flux box and through the molten metal in the tank, a roll located Within and substantially filling the opening in the fluxboxand having a longitudinal groove arranged to receive said carrier, and gears fixed to said rolls and meshing With each other. 1

8. Apparatus for'coating articles including a tank of molten metal, a flux box at the top of the molten metal and provided with an opening through one side, a moving carrier for supportingan article to be coated and for moving the article down through the flux box and through the molten metal in the tank, a roll located Within and substantially filling the opening in the flux box and having a longitudinal groove arranged to receive said carrier, gears fixed to said rolls and meshing with each other,and means for i driving the rolls .at a surface speed equal to the movement of the carrier. f In testimony that I claim the above, I i have hereunto subscribed my name.

VIE-GIL P. WENDLE. 

